personally i would steer away from the ob-1 because patch memory on a mono takes away more than it adds imo, especially of that vintage with the quantization. but try it out, see what it sounds like, what it feels like, what its worth to you &c

not at all, i mean that you wont be playing the synthesizer itself, youll be playing a computer that plays the synthesizer for you -- this can lead to audible parameter stepping and other strange issues at times and personally, i prefer to play without a computer in the way. but as they say, de gustibus non disputandam

Which really doesn't mean squat... Unless it's like, a prototype, or #1, (or there was a significant tech. change after a certain value) serial numbers mean nothing. Frankly, when it comes to vintage, later is almost always better (simply because it's younger). It really bugs me when sellers try and turn a "low" serial (what does that even mean?) into a sellable feature.

I also wouldn't be put off by the "computer" issue moremagic is referring to--once you've bought like 10 monosynths, maybe you'll come to care (or not), but it's not gonna matter for now. But you might also think what else that much money could by, and what you're looking for specifically. The new Sub37 will definitely be less than $1500, and probably has twice as many features/more reliable. There's also the new studio electronics stuff which is like half the price (though you'd need a keyboard).

In the vintage realm you could also easily find contenders like the Octave Cat, or Moog Source, or original SEM, for less.

Not trying to put you off the vintage vibe (or an Oberheim), but the OB1 (imho) does not quite sound as good as it should. It seems to be stuck in a weird place between the 4-voice/OBX and OBXa territory. I sort of see it as more of a real niche mono than a jack of all trades sort, and you're definitely paying for the "rare" factor.

Thanks Sir Ruff. Yeah, that is kinda why I was thinking of getting a new MS20. It's new and reliable. I don't mind getting vintage stuff and there is a lot that I want, but when there is stuff that seems pretty much the same or better with more current abilities it seems like such a better bargin.

I had 4 of these at one time, one of which had a SN above 500. I think about 700-800 were made if you count OB-1As. It's too bad it doesn't have the multimode filter from the SEM. They are full of late 70s CMOS chips which all should be replaced. The ancient mercury battery inside can cause probs too. I prefer the Pro One a lot more in the same (or less) price range.